Light and Darkness
by minachandler
Summary: "No, it's okay, pretty-bird. You're not interrupting." Set at the end of 4x10. Laurel walks in on Oliver and Felicity in the hospital, and Felicity reminds Oliver that it's Laurel's turn to get an apology. Olicity and Oliver/Laurel friendship.


"How did you get to be so strong?" Oliver says in wonder.

Felicity smiles, and it's a wan, tired smile, but still, there is so much love in her gaze that it's impossible not to smile back.

"I take my lead from you," she says softly, and Oliver squeezes her hand, unable to say anything.

It's been a while since she's managed to render him speechless – in a good way, that is. But he's content to just gaze back at her, holding her hand – he's sure he could do that for forever if he wanted.

But then the door opens behind him and Oliver turns to find Laurel. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," she says, making to leave, but Felicity stops her.

"No, it's okay, pretty-bird. You're not interrupting."

For a second, Laurel hesitates, as if still considering leaving, but then she smiles and shuts the door behind her. "How are you doing?"

"Better," Felicity replies. "You?"

For a moment, Laurel glances briefly at Oliver, before her gaze returns to Felicity. "I'm okay, yeah. Is there anything I can get you?"

"Uh, yeah, actually. I could do with some water, if you don't mind," Felicity says, gesturing at the jug on the bedside cabinet.

"Sure thing." Picking up the jug, Laurel leaves the room with another smile at Felicity, who smiles back, but the moment the door closes, Felicity's expression becomes more solemn.

"I don't know what you said to her, but I'm going to assume that whatever it is, you said in the heat of the moment and she's too good a friend – to both of us – to say anything."

Oliver closes his eyes, wishing he could will away the disapproval that is in her gaze. "I did say something," he admits. "And I know that she's been here for you, when I haven't, and what I said was unfair and wrong and – I fucked up. In a lot of ways –"

"I've had my apology," Felicity interrupts. "Apolog _ies_ , I should say. Seems like it's Laurel's turn."

And secretly, Oliver can't help but sigh inwardly with relief, because with her stern words some of the colour also returns to her cheeks and her lips.

"You're right. And… for what it's worth? I was planning on saying sorry to her. Just had to –"

"– swallow your pride a bit?" Felicity suggests with a faint smile.

Oliver shakes his head. "That's what I would have done before. God, I don't even know if I would have apologised. But things are different now. When we got Sara back all those weeks ago, I promised Laurel I'd be a better friend to her. I – didn't do that today. At all."

"Well, now's your chance to redeem yourself," Felicity says briskly, but then she raises her eyebrows and meets his eyes quizzically, bemused. "What?"

It's only now that Oliver realises he's smiling more widely than he has in the last week alone. He reaches out, runs his finger down her cheek, and she closes her eyes at his touch.

"Just – I've missed having you boss me around."

"I've missed you too," she replies quietly. "Now, when Laurel comes back in, I'm going to pretend to sleep and let you guys talk. Okay, honey?"

Oliver smiles, kisses her lips. "Okay. I love you."

"I know," she says cheerfully.

Sure enough, when Laurel re-enters Felicity's room, holding a jug freshly filled with water, which she places carefully on the bedside table, Felicity accepts it with a quiet "Thank you, pretty-bird" before lying back on her pillows and closing her eyes.

Oliver watches as Laurel smiles at her sleeping friend and settles on the chair on the other side of the bed. Not for the first time, a wave of guilt rushes over him. He's said some hurtful things to Laurel over the years, but this time it's worse for both of them.

"Laurel, I owe you an apology," Oliver says quietly. "I know I've said things, done things, that have upset you before, but – this is different. What I said earlier – you were right. It was unfair, and totally uncalled for."

"I know you were in a lot of pain," she says.

"That doesn't justify hurting the people closest to me."

It's only now that Laurel looks him in the eyes. "I didn't know if I was on that list anymore."

"You are. Always will be."

Laurel smiles properly this time. "Good to know."

"And Sara," Oliver adds firmly. "Comparing her to Machin… that was out of line. I know it was. But I want you to know that no matter what happens, what I say, you're both important to me. And I mean – sure, you brought her back, and there are consequences of that, but you were right. It's no different from me bringing back Thea and the bloodlust she's suffering from now."

"Oh, has she talked to you about it?" Laurel asks.

"About what?"

"Oh." Laurel pauses, hesitating, and finally she says, "Thea's bloodlust – it's gotten worse. I mean, she says she's got a handle on it, but she was telling me how she was struggling lately. I… guess she didn't want to worry you, what with everything you had going on."

"Right." Oliver digests this in silence, ready to blame himself for yet another bad thing to happen because of him.

"It's okay, Ollie," Laurel says unexpectedly, getting to her feet and going to stand in front of the window, her back to Oliver. "Thea's strong. Takes after her brother, I think."

Oliver gets to his feet, too, and joins her at the window. "Do you remember when I first came back – and I approached you as the Hood that first time to work on the Peter Declan case?"

Laurel looks up, lifts her eyebrows in question. "Yeah, I remember. How could I not remember being attacked by that prison guard in Iron Heights…"

Oliver sighs. "Do you remember – how angry I was, beating the crap out of the guy until you pulled me off him?"

Visibly Laurel winces. "Yeah."

"You told your father I was a killer."

"Ollie –"

"You were right," Oliver says heavily. "I was. Tommy said so too. And so much has happened since then that has made me remember what it's like to be a human being. But all this time I was going after Darhk, releasing Machin, taking down suicidal Ghost after suicidal Ghost – it was like I was back in Iron Heights all over again. And it scared me as much as it probably scared you at the time. Made me realise I don't want to go back to that dark place I was in."

"Is that why Felicity's the one who lights your way?" Laurel teases, and Oliver chuckles.

"Something like that."

She reaches out, pats Oliver's shoulder. "I'm guessing the two of you have a lot of catching up to do," she says, "so I'll leave you to it."

Laurel smiles at Oliver before walking to the door, but it's as she's opening it that he speaks.

"Laurel?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you," Oliver says sincerely. "Not just for being there for Thea – but for Felicity too. I was so obsessed with going after Darhk, but you were there for her, and that – that means the world to me. Just like she does."

"For the record," Laurel says, stealing another glance at Felicity's sleeping form, "she means the world to me too. And I love her too."

And somehow that isn't really surprising to hear. "It's hard not to," Oliver replies quietly to Laurel's retreating back.


End file.
